


Red Ribbon Roslin

by ufp13



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-04
Updated: 2008-12-04
Packaged: 2017-10-29 05:08:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/316163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ufp13/pseuds/ufp13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even leaders have birthdays and need some time off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Ribbon Roslin

"Madam President?"

The woman in question looked up. "What can I do for you, Captain Thrace?"

"Do you have a minute? It's a private matter." Starbuck had never appeared that uncomfortable to Laura before.

"Of course." She turned to her aid. "Would you please leave us alone?" Once the curtain was closed, she looked at the young woman again. "Sit down, please. What can I do for you?"

Kara took the offered seat opposite of Roslin but didn't look her in the eye, staring at her own hands, instead, which were fidgeting nervously. "Well... you see... the Old Man's... I mean Admiral Adama's birthday is coming up shortly and we... that's most of the pilots, deck crew and some officers from the CIC, Lee and me, of course... wanted to give him something special." Her voice trailed off. Laura waited for her to continue; however, she didn't. "What did you come up with?" the president inquired finally.

"Uhm... actually it was Cottle's idea." Another pause. Starbuck lost for words: that was certainly a first, Laura thought, getting more and more anxious to find out what this was all about. "Just spit it out, Starbuck."

"A weekend off and you," the pilot burst out.

Roslin wasn't sure she had heard correctly. "Excuse me?"

Kara sighed and looked up for the first time since the conversation had begun. "You see, ever since this whole ordeal started he never took some time off, and Doc thinks it's about time he does. Ordering him wouldn't make him do it, though. Besides, if he'd spend the time alone he would use it to think instead of relax. And that's the point where you come into the picture. We figured that you'd be the best person to get him to relax, I mean, it's not a secret on Galactica that he enjoys your company." Kara stopped to let her words sink in. Once Laura nodded, she carried on. "And that you could use a few days off as well."

"You realise that I don't have the luxury to just take some days off because I feel like it?"

"Actually, we've already cleared that with your aid. Officially on Doctor's orders."

"Are you telling me that my choices are to spend a weekend off with the Admiral or to spend a weekend off with the Admiral?" The redhead's eyes twinkled dangerously. By now, Starbuck had regained her well-known self.

"No, but we thought we’d cover all things that might make you reject the plan beforehand."

"I see. And you don't happen to have ulterior motives?" Laura asked, remembering Kara's way of phrasing the idea in first place.

"Uhm...no."

"Starbuck?!"

"Well, there were some hopes voiced."

"I can't believe it!"

"Madam President, please. They meant well; we mean well."

"Have you considered the complications that come along with your plan? And I don't mean business schedules which you obviously have already taken care of. I'm talking about reputations and the press."

"I'm sure the rest of the fleet thinks like the Galactica's crew, and we all would be happy for both of you. It's good to see the Old Man smile again occasionally. He was lonely at the top before you entered the scene. And don't tell me you aren't." Kara stared straight into the older woman's eyes. "Please, don't let the frakkers that call themselves the press rule your life. Trust us to cover you."

Laura leaned back in her chair, took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose with the other hand. Her inner risk-loving part that always rejoiced in going against certain conventions was boiling up. It was that side of herself that had made her start the affair with Adar; that side she had suppressed since she had taken over the presidency. However, the idea of some quality time with the owner of that deep, husky voice, which caused her skin to tingle every time it reached her ears, made it impossible to ignore this part in her. "You know," she bent forward again, reinitiating eye contact, "I've never been a birthday present before." The blonde woman laughed out loud.

"All you need is a red bow." She winked.

"Oh dear, what did I get myself into?" Laura groaned.

"The most exciting journey since you raised your hand for the frakking oath that you shouldn't let rule your life. And remember, he loves you. He won't reject you. So, nothing to be nervous about." This statement caused another groan to pass Laura's lips.

"You are not helping the matter. I hate feeling like a teenager when I'm over fifty frakking years old."

Kara giggled at that. "You'll do fine. I better go. I'll contact you at a later time for further details." She got up and made her way to the exit of the room when Laura answered.

"Just remember to leave some of the details to me." Now it was Kara's turn to groan. The mental image those words evoked was one she could have done without.

With time, Laura learned just how many people were involved in the plan to get Bill to take some days off. Tigh would cover his shifts together with Gaeta; Dee and Billy had organized a room on the Rising Star; Cottle would take care of the press (in a manner of speaking) and of Baltar who was kept in the dark. The pilots would cover the flight plans, Lee would ensure his father would get to the Rising Star, some of the bunch had even managed to obtain a red, wide ribbon which Kara had handed to Laura with a mischievous grin on her face and the comment "All a good present needs; after all, the content counts." Laura just had to stay calm and be there to wait for Bill when the day came, though she had asked Kara to find her a second item for the wrapping of the present.

As the day approached, Adama was still obviously oblivious to the things going on around him - winking, whispering, conspiratorial meetings.

Starbuck herself picked Laura up to shuttle her to the Rising Star. "Good morning, Madam President. You got all you need?"

"Good morning, Starbuck. Yes, everything's in here." She lifted her hand in which she carried a small bag. "Wrapping, toothbrush - everything I need." She winked and laughed; the young woman joined in.

Once the hatch of the raptor was closed behind them, Laura addressed Kara again. "How did he take it?"

"Not well, I'm surprised he hasn't called you yet to complain about the frakking chimney of a doctor who forces him to neglect his duty to the fleet."

"But he will come?"

"Well..." Kara waggled with her eye brows. "That's up to you."

"Captain Thrace!" Laura let out a laugh.

"Seriously, he resigned himself to his fate. Lee managed to talk him into listening to Cottle, and when Tigh sided with them, he knew he was beaten."

"Gods, I can already imagine the mood he'll be in..." Laura sighed.

"I'm sure you'll manage to cheer him up in no time. After all, he never received a more precious gift. He better appreciate it or we'll kick his frakkin’ sorry ass..."

"I don't even want to consider that possibility. I would die of embarrassment right there and then."

"Don't dare! Just the thought of that frakkin’ idiot of a genius as president makes me want to throw up."

"Thank you, I guess. Then you better hope the Old Man will like his present."

"He will." Kara hugged Roslin quickly, looking a bit embarrassed when she let go, a shy smile on her face. "Good luck, have fun, and do nothing I wouldn't do."

Laura thanked her with a smile and a nod and stepped onto the Rising Star where she was met by the maître d'. "Welcome aboard the Rising Star, Miss Roslin." Laura was pleasantly surprised not to be greeted by her title but treated like any other guest.

"Thank you."

"If you'd please follow me, I'll show you to your room." As soon as she had nodded her consent, he took her luggage and led the way out of the landing bay.

Once she was alone in the suite Dee had booked, the nervousness returned with force. To distract herself, she inspected the given accommodations. In addition to the ample lounge that contained two comfortable looking couches and a small table, as well as a minibar, there was a bedroom that was dominated by a luxurious king-sized bed. In the bathroom, her eyes fell onto a bath tub - something she hadn't seen in a long time, not to mention used. It took her some restraint to resist the sweet call of a hot bath. Later, she promised herself.

The phone buzzed. It was Dee informing her that Lee and Bill were on their way to Galactica's landing deck, which meant that Laura had about thirty minutes left until Bill would walk into the room. She thanked Dee, hung up, and started to prepare Bill's present by undressing herself. She stuffed her clothes into the bag and took out the wrapping instead. Having put on the red lace panties she had Starbuck organize her, she secured the ribbon over her breasts so it covered her nipples, making a bow on her back. In the time left, she put her hair up. Ready as she would ever be, she stepped to the window of the bedroom, stared out into space and waited for him to arrive.

She lost all sense of time when suddenly the door of the suite was opened. She heard Bill thank the maître d' before closing the door again. Judging by the sounds, he just sat down on one of the couches, but Laura made no move; she tried to keep still, not wanting to alert him to her presence before he had laid eyes on his present. She had left the card from his crew on the small table.

"Happy Birthday, Old Man," he read out loud. "We hope you'll have a wonderful time. Don't dare not to enjoy your present. All our love, your crew." With a thud the card landed on the table again. "Wonderful. Three days alone, three days of paper work left undone, three days wasted... frak ya." He got up.

She heard his steps nearing the bedroom, and, with each step he took, her heart seemed to beat faster. He entered the room and came to a sudden halt. She could feel his eyes on her body, provoking a shudder she suppressed fast.

Bill couldn't believe his eyes as he took in the feminine form in front of him. Despite never having seen it before, he was sure whom this delectable backside belonged to, not that the red mane wasn't a dead giveaway.

"Laura?" he whispered disbelievingly.

"Happy birthday, Bill," she answered but didn't turn to face him. Without conscious thought, he stepped closer.

"What is this all about?"

"Your birthday and a crew who wants to see their Old Man happy."

"And what's your part in this?"

"I'm just the present." The grin on her lips was evident in her voice.

"So, you are the present they advised – or should I say ordered – me to enjoy."

"Well, you’d better. Or your present might become frustrated and angry," she teased. By now, his breath was caressing her neck.

"We can't have that, can we?"

"No."

"But before I un... wrap my present and enjoy it, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Do I get to keep my present, or do I have to give it back after three days?"

"That's up to you. It wouldn't be easy, but your present is willing to face whatever comes together with you." She felt his breath nodding on her skin.

"Good." He wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her neck. She leaned back into his embrace to encounter that he wasn't wearing his usual uniform. The sleeves, all she could see, were black and most likely part of a shirt. He nuzzled her neck, kissed along her shoulder while his hands mapped her stomach from right under her breasts to the waistband of the panties. Slowly, he let go after some time and stepped back. "Turn around, please." Wordlessly, she did as he had asked, a coy smile gracing her lips, eyes downcast, feeling rather self-conscious. The sound that escaped him, which sounded surprisingly like a purr, made her look up, though. The hunger and heat was so plainly obvious in his eyes that a blush swept over her entire body.

"The most beautiful present I ever got." He smiled and stepped a bit closer again. Reaching out with his hands, he outlined the curves of her breasts with a feathery touch. She trembled; her nipples hardened, clearly visible under the ribbon. "Yes, I'm sure I'm going to enjoy my present very much." He leaned in to touch her lips with his own – lightly and carefully at first, just a soft brushing, but applying more force with time, nipping her lower lip before entering foreign territory with his tongue. Laura arched her body toward him; however, the lips remained the only part of their bodies touching since he had let go of her breasts. She lifted her hands in desire to pull him closer, but he broke the kiss and shook his head, breathing heavily.

"Oh no, you are my present, and the card said that I should enjoy my present. There was nothing said about the enjoyment of the present." He winked at her groan. "But I am willing to see to that as long as the present is willing to let me have my way with it first."

"Does the present have a choice?"

"Nope, not anymore." He took her hands in his, entwining their fingers and kissed her again, a kiss full of promise and the love he felt. "Agreed?" he questioned once they came up for air again. She could only nod. "Then let's let the unwrapping begin."

He pulled her over to the mirror so she was facing it, then walked around her and loosened the bow, letting the material fall away. He worshipped the skin of her back he had just uncovered with his lips.

The owner of the body, though, fought the urge to cover herself with her hands. It had been years since a man had laid his eyes on her – medical purposes aside – and the changes her body had gone through due to the cancer didn't help the matter. She knew what she looked like, having taken her time to inspect herself in the mirror not that long ago – she had intentionally avoided this earlier while preparing herself – and remembered that she hadn't been pleased with what she had seen.

Fortunately, Bill seemed to disagree with her judgement. She took a deep breath in order to steal herself for what she knew she would see and looked up straight ahead in the mirror where her eyes were awaited by Bill's.

"You have nothing to worry about, Laura. Trust me on this: you are beautiful as you are." He lowered his gaze to her breasts, at the same time reaching around her to cup them, teasing the nipples with his thumbs. Then his hands moved south over her front. He kneeled down behind her, running his tongue along her spine in the process until he was met by a barrier in the form of her panties. Hooking his thumbs under the waistband, he pulled down the second and last piece of material that hid her from his eyes. After he had delivered a kiss onto each buttock, he gestured for her to step out of the panties and turn around.

Coyness and insecurity still colouring her movement, despite his attempts to assure her of his love and desire for her and her body, she did the turn of 180 degrees to face him. When she stood still again, he pressed his lips onto her stomach for some long seconds. While most of his body remained still, his hands trailed along, around her legs, nudging them apart.

Once she had taken the stance he had wordlessly asked for, his tongue peeked out through his lips and started a wet hike south. Laura's knees began to buckle under his ministrations and the expectation of what he was about to do. She took a step backward, finding hold with her hands flat against the mirror. The move hadn't stopped Bill in his sensual assault; he had simply followed her, never breaking the contact of tongue to skin. With both hands, he reached through her legs to open her further to his teasing tongue. Her heightened senses went to overload as soon as the tip made contact with her clitoris. Her head fell back, a moan that sounded vaguely similar to "Bill" rolled off her lips. The man at her feet was flooded by a feeling of contentedness and satisfaction upon her loss of control while continuing to lap at her sex.

When her body started to tremble, he rammed two fingers into her. The sudden invasion of her body sent her into the wide space of blissfulness. Keeping his fingers embedded in her, rubbing her clitoris with his thumb, he stood up to enjoy the view the temptress in his arms presented him with: eyes half-closed, lips parted – begging to be kissed. Before he gave in, though, he gently bit one of her nipples, thereby sending another wave of pleasure through her body. The scream that threatened to leave her mouth was swallowed by him. Hard, nearly bruising, her lips worked his, giving him a sample of how he made her feel, obviously not minding her own taste on his lips.

As the waves ebbed away, the kiss softened to a languid caress of lips and tongues. With care, Bill removed his fingers from her inner flesh and broke the kiss to allow them both to breathe in some much-needed air. However, he didn't distance himself much – merely an inch – and steadied her with one arm around her waist.

"Thank you," she whispered once she was able to form coherent words again. The smile that formed itself on her lips spoke of happiness and gratification. He answered it with one of his own.

"No, thank YOU. You are an amazing present."

She giggled and leaned her forehead against his chest. "I was afraid you might run in the opposite direction or throw me out," Laura confessed her earlier concern.

Bill breathed a kiss on the top of her head. Then he laid a finger under her chin and made her look him in the eyes. "I may not have always liked you – cut that, I disliked you the first time we met. You rubbed me the wrong way, you irritated me with your stubbornness, your habit to stand up to me. But what irritated me the most was your beauty and my reaction to it. I tried to ignore it, to suppress it – to no avail. In the end, I accepted the attraction and the fact that I could do nothing about it. I’d have never been able to resist a temptation like this." He let his finger trail from her chin over her neck down to her bosom. "I don't know how you did it, Laura, but you got under my skin." He gave her a short, soft kiss.

"I couldn't stand that grim, infuriating, stoic military man who was deadlocked in his views and wouldn't give an inch, that man who thought of me as a naïve schoolteacher and treated me as such. However, he grew on me. He changed. I changed. And I'm very glad to have him here. Though I would be even more happy if he'd get rid of his clothes." She smiled cheekily as her hands drifted over his chest down to his waist to tug at his shirt to emphasize her point.

"I thought we agreed that the present would wait until its owner got his enjoyment out of it. And I'm not done with it, yet," he smirked.

"Bill," she pouted.

"Cute woman." He kissed her nose. "Impatient woman." He kissed one cheek. "Demanding woman." He kissed the other cheek. "My woman." He kissed the pout off her lips. "I'll meet you half-way, irresistible temptress of mine." A bit reluctantly, he extracted himself from their embrace and took off his shoes and socks under her questioning gaze, which only disappeared when he pulled his shirt out of his pants and over his head. Now, she eyed him, scrutinising, cocking her head to one side and pouting again, a pleading look in her eyes that made him chuckle and take off his undershirt and dog tags as well.

Once she had a clear view on the upper part of his body, her eyes lit up. She decreased the distance between them again and put her hands on his chest, where they were joined by her wet lips moments later. While enjoying her touch, Bill picked the pins out of her hair; they hindered his fingers from sinking into the waves of fire as he had fantasized about nearly every time he had seen them flying when she had made an abrupt move with her head. With muted clicks, the pins joined the ribbon and panties on the floor. The moment the strands floated down her back freely, he drowned his hands in them. As Laura started to ravish one of his nipples with tongue and teeth, Bill used the new-found freedom to pull her away from him.

"Is that the way to treat your own interactive sex toy, Admiral?" She raised one eyebrow in question. "I don't think so." Her fingers, which still rested on his skin, pinched a nipple not too gently as vengeance, causing him to yell out.

"Interactive, indeed. Perhaps a bit too interactive." He let go of her hair to take hold of her hands. After he had bent down to retrieve the ribbon from the floor, he directed her to the bed with his body.

Her leg collided with the cushion, and, with one final push from Bill, she fell backward onto the sheets, her lover hovering over her, her hands still in his strong grip. His weight held her down while he used the ribbon to tie her hands to the head of the bed. When he was sure that she wouldn't be able to free herself anytime soon, he got up and laid her legs on the bed so that her whole body was lying flat on the sheets.

Laura caught the breath his weight had forced out of her lungs earlier. Bill sat next to her, observing, unable to banish the self-satisfied smirk from his face. After all, it didn't happen every day that you had the president of the twelve colonies at your mercy, for the purpose of mutual pleasure alone, no less. He was mesmerized by her breasts heaving with every deep breath she took. Creeping a bit nearer, he laid one hand on her stomach and drew circles in a soothing motion with his thumb, waiting for her to calm down again. Still staring at her chest, he was startled by her voice. "And what do you intend to do now that you wrapped up your present again?" She shot him a questioning glare.

"I considered going to the ship's lounge and grabbing a late lunch."

If looks could kill, Admiral William Adama would have dropped down dead that very instant. Fortunately for him, they couldn’t, so he used his liveliness to tumble over in laughter. "Power that one down, love. I might be hungry, but not for food." He leaned over to kiss her softly while his hands caressed her hips. "I know better than to push my luck."

"Clever man." She smiled at him.

"Though, we could order some nourishment later. You'd make quite a decorative plate." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh Gods, I've released a beast." The statement was followed by a dramatic sigh.

"Let the beast feast, and it will feed you," he countered and captured one of her nipples with his teeth to underline his remark. In result, her answer was drowned by a groan of surprise and pleasurable pain.

"Seems like there’s no stopping the beast."

At that, his head shot up. "Just say the word and you are free to go any second." Seriousness evident in his voice.

"Gods, no." She lifted her head in an attempt to kiss his doubts of her sincerity away. To her frustration, she couldn't reach far enough due to her restrained arms. "I wouldn't mind being free to stay, though."

"Later, my love, later." He drew nearer to meet her lips with his. In the motion of the kiss, he brought her head down to the mattress again. "For now, just lay back and remember that you can stop this anytime." She nodded in response.

"I trust you, beloved." In demonstration of that, her lids fell shut.

Bill marvelled at her willingness to display vulnerability in his presence. She opened herself to him and trusted that he wouldn't take advantage of her, wouldn't hurt her. No misplaced trust – he would rather kill himself before he would cause her pain deliberately.

His pants rubbed unpleasantly against his erection as he moved to get up in order to retrieve the bottle of champagne Saul had handed him with the words to make good use of it. However, as much as he wanted to take her hard, aggressively, make her his, mark her. He wanted to savour her, enjoy every moment, imprint it to his memory as long as it lasted, for it would be over too soon. There would be time for hard and fast in between meetings later, but the times for slow and gentle would be rare.

Determined to take his time now, he set his mind to ignoring the pressing matter below his waistline.

"Bill?" Laura's one-word question expressed her confusion at his weight being removed from the mattress, asked for an explanation of his action at the same time as it warned him not to leave her.

"I'll be right back, my heart, just a minute. I need to get something from my bag," he assured her with a kiss.

"Go. I'll just stay here and wait." She bent one leg, presenting him with a view on her more intimate parts.

"I'll hurry," he growled and made his way to the lounge, leaving her chuckling at his eagerness.

The bottle wasn't cold anymore but still chilled, thanks to the paper Saul had wrapped it in. Not wanting to spoil the surprise, Bill attempted to open it as soundlessly as possible. He wasn't entirely successful yet hoped that the dull sound hadn't given away what awaited her.

Just in case she had opened her eyes during his absence, he hid the bottle behind his back when he returned to the bedroom. Although her eyes were closed, she must have sensed his presence because she sent a greeting smile his way.

"Did you find what you wanted?"

"Yep."

The mattress dipped under his weight as he sat down again.

"What is it?" She lifted a lid a small bit to catch a glimpse of whatever he might have brought.

"Oh no, keep them shut. No cheating allowed."

She pouted but followed orders.

"Good girl."

She stuck out her tongue at him.

"I take that back."

"Hey, I try but you are not making it easy."

"You can give up the pretence. I'm rather fond of your mischievous, rebellious side."

"I'll remember to remind you of that at a later time."

He groaned. "If my hair wasn't already grey, you'd have caused quite a few new ones, devious woman."

She chuckled. "But that's why you love me."

"One of the reasons anyway, yes."

"I you, too."

"I know." He pressed his lips against her bosom in gratitude for having been blessed with her presence in his life and her love.

Similarly overwhelmed by the deepness of the lightly spoken words, the next moments were spent in nearly motionless stillness until Bill started to nip at the skin beneath his lips, applying more pressure with each nip. The motion changed to a sucking to leave visible mark of his ownership on her.

"Mine," he rumbled to her amusement as he removed his lips from her skin. His caveman-like possessiveness was a nice change to her former lover's behaviour. A man who had wanted to control her but didn't even hint to claim her. Looking back, she couldn't understand herself, couldn't comprehend what had made her stay with him. Richard Adar had been a weak man, unable to handle her spirit, always forcing her to keep it at bay. Over time, this façade, this false nature, had become the one she displayed even outside of Adar's direct proximity. After the attacks under the influence of the presidency and the demands of the office, she had parted with that mask; it didn't fit the situation, and, with Adar out of the picture, there was no need to keep it. The character of her new sparing partner – namely William Adama – called for the spirit of the "real" Laura. The naïve little schoolteacher wasn't a person the seasoned military leader would consider an opponent to be taken seriously. A fact Laura could easily relate to; she hadn't been able to take this alter ego of herself seriously, either. She hated herself for letting Richard bully her into submission, hated herself for building that façade in the first place, hated herself even more than she despised that mushy version of herself. The illness and later death of her mother had left her without a backup, alone without a true goal. That had been when Richard had found her. He had squeezed her into the form he wanted her to have without her noticing it, until it had been too late. Although she tried to break free and bounce back into her natural form, her natural self, she hadn't found the strength, the goal that would have been worth it – loneliness without even the occasional warmth of another body wasn't very appealing, and given her position, her options were rather limited. To make a long story short: she had lost herself in the process that had been the affair with Ricard Adar. The metaphoric buckets of cold water that had been emptied above her head in a short period of time – the affirmation of her cancer, the end of the world as they had known it, the presidency – had shaken her out of her comatose state. Meeting Commander Adama and getting to know Bill had helped her to regain and steady herself in her old/new persona. Despite her fatal prognosis, she had rejoiced in finally being free, being herself again and, eventually, being loved for it. And for once in a very long time, she gave up a part of herself gladly because what she received in return equalled it. She was loved by him as she loved him, though she was hindered in expressing it the same way he could at the moment. However, she knew that she would get the chance to do so later, and would use it to mark him as he had marked her: a mark of lust, love, promise, possessiveness and of commitment. He wouldn't, couldn't deny her, just like she couldn't deny him, her current position being proof of that. She had always disliked being in submissive, vulnerable positions; with Bill though, she felt safe, safe enough to let him do with her as he pleased.

A gift he truly honoured and made good use of, Laura noted, as semi-cold liquid suddenly made contact with the skin between her collarbones, from where it laved over her bosom to her navel. The liquor prickled on her skin, causing her to shake in giggles which threatened to spill the precious fluid. To prevent that, Bill stopped a trickle with his tongue and licked along its path, thereby effectively bringing her giggles to a hold, turning them into moans, however, only until he slurped the champagne that had pooled in her navel purposefully loudly.

He loved hearing her laugh. She didn't do it often enough, so he took every chance he found to elicit one. Especially the image of her whole naked body shaking with mirth was quite enchanting.

"Do you plan to drink alone, or are you going to share whatever you just bathed me in?"

He took a mouthful from the bottle and rubbed her nose in answer, then shared the liquid with her.

"Hmm, delicious," she purred.

"Saul did pick the good stuff. I wondered why he would waste it on a lonely, miserable old man, but he refused to keep it."

"Good thing."

"Yep."

They shared another quencher before he got off the bed again to shed his remaining clothes under her openly ogling eyes.

"Better," she stated when he stepped out of his trousers.

Once he had gotten rid of the last piece of clothing, she gave him an all-over. "Much better." She wriggled her hips invitingly.

Which man in his right mind would refuse such an invitation? Bill certainly not. He grasped her legs, kneeled down on the bed and parted them, putting down one of her feet next to each of his thighs to make her easily accessible. When he diverted his gaze from her sex, he discovered that she obviously had gotten past all her inhibitions: head angled back, half-closed eyes looking at him lasciviously, a small smile gracing her lips as she spread her legs a bit further. Accepting her offering, Bill leaned forward to play her labia and clitoris with his tongue. The sounds that action provoked differed from moans over his name to begging for him to finally give in.

Impatient woman, indeed. Wasn't she aware that it would be over for him soon after? That she stimulated his senses like no other woman had in a very long time? That he had deemed himself on the wrong side of sixty to feel the way she made him feel?

One last lick along her slit to savour her taste and he let go, crawling upwards until he was face to face with her, hands on either side of her shoulders. Looking him in the eyes, she raised her hips to simplify penetration.

"Are you really sure that this is what yoo..." The rest of her teasing got lost in a cry as he entered her with one sudden thrust. A move he regretted the moment he saw an expression of pain on her face.

Tactical retreat seemed a good cause of action, but her legs around his waist prevented it.

"Just give me a moment," she spoke with closed eyes.

"I'm sorry. I..."

"Bill, stop." She opened her eyes. "Gimme your eyes." She waited for him to follow her plea and then continued. "I forgot that it had been awhile... well, actually I hadn't forgotten and that might have been the problem... never mind. It's not your fault, and it didn't hurt that bad. Besides, all gone." Her hips bucked in encouragement. When he didn't catch up instantly, she gave him a questioning look. "Or did you change your mind? A little laaaaaa-te..." With a groan, he slammed his lips down onto hers to shut her up. At the same time, he started to move his loins in a slow rhythm.

The contact of lips was abandoned in favour of one of glances when Laura began to meet each of his thrusts with one of her own, thereby trying to increase the frequency.

She beseeched him with words, wanted him to relinquish himself to the sensations of the act and his own body without a mere afterthought of her. He had given her so much during the last years, including a second chance at life, that she longed to give back as much as she could – which wasn't that much in her current position – to thank him properly, to give something to the man who wasn't used to taking something for himself, and the latter needed rectification. She would teach him to take, to take from her, and it seemed like the lessons were going to be most enjoyable.

A nearly screamed "haar-deeeeer!" and an encouraging push of her calves to his behind finally did the deed. He picked up the speed, hammering into her for a short while before collapsing onto her, spent.

This time, she welcomed his weight. However, it didn't agree with her that she couldn't give in to her desire to wind her arms around him.

"Bill." She traced his ear with her lips. "Untie me. Please."

A sleepy growl represented the whole verbal answer she received, but he complied, reached up and loosened the ribbon.

"Thank you." She ignored the nasty sensation of her arms' awakening and entangled Bill who was about to roll off of her.

"No, stay." She held him to her.

A nod signalled his understanding before he buried his nose in the hollow of her throat, and his body relaxed on her.

Laura rejoiced in the intimacy of the moment. It had been a long time since she had last been able to float on the soft waves of the aftermath, to simply enjoy the feeling of a man's body without schedule or fear of being discovered. Simply lying around doing nothing but cuddling and feeling was a luxury she had never experienced with Richard, though she wasn't sure she had even wanted to; in the beginning perhaps, in the end definitely not.

So, here she was with the most powerful man of all what was left of humanity on the edge of falling asleep on her and enjoying the sentience of sweaty skin getting cold, having a hard time breathing and her limbs becoming numb. If she wasn't as happy and content as she was, she might have doubted her sanity.

Despite his exhaustion, Bill seemed to have more sense than she. Regardless of her protest, he rolled them over.

"Don't wanna have to explain why the president of the twelve colonies of Kobol died of suffocation in bed with her military leader," he explained grinning.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Oh shut up, you stubborn, foolish, amazing woman."

Whatever protest she had wanted to voice was squelched by his kiss.

"I really should remember that tactic. Most efficient and enjoyable."

"Wanna try it on Sarah Porter during the next Quorum meeting?" She smirked. "I'm sure sh..." The rest of her statement got lost in a kiss.

For some time, they just lay there, each lost in his own world of thoughts which, unbeknownst to the other, was the same, and occasionally shared leisurely kisses: comfortable in the silence until Bill noticed his flesh and blood blanket's shivering.

"Cold?" It nodded.

"A bit."

A motion of his body indicated for her to get up. Together, they had sorted out the sheets in no time and crawled back into the bed. Spooned, her back to his front, they sank into slumber.

Contrary to his assumption and dreams, Bill woke up alone in the bed where he had fallen asleep some time prior with arms full of Laura. Disappointed to not find her there anymore, he flung the blanket back, his legs over the edge of the bed, and got up. The red ribbon on the nightstand caught his attention. It hadn't been a dream. He put on his boxers and went to search for the woman of his heart.

No Laura in the lounge, but instead of her, he found a tray with what on further inspection appeared to be dinner.

"Bring that with you, please." He heard the voice that had screamed his name earlier that day in the throws of passion coming from the bathroom.

Grinning to himself, he raised an eyebrow and shook his head in amusement. What was this woman up to now?

Carefully, he carried the tray to the bathroom where he was greeted by the sight of Laura lying in the bathtub, her body concealed by foam except for her head and one leg.

With a crooked finger, she beckoned him to her once he had put down his cargo. Not even considering resisting, Bill walked the few steps to the tub and kneeled down. Instantly, two wet arms were wound around his neck and his lips captured in a slow kiss.

"Hallo, soldier." She spoke the first words since he had entered the room.

"Greetings, comely maiden." He smiled at her. "How long have you been up?"

"Not that long. Sorry you had to wake up alone." Her fingers trailed along his neck. "But you looked so peaceful I couldn't bring myself to wake you. Besides, relaxation was what the doctor ordered, wasn't it?"

Bill rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Well then, put the stool here," she pointed with a finger at the stool in the corner and then to the empty space next to the tub, "the tray on it, and then get your ass out of these shorts and in here. Of course, you can always start with the undressing part." She winked at him.

"You are incorrigible, woman," he muttered but did as she had said, shedding his clothes after he had taken care of the tray.

Once they were settled in the tub, she between his legs with her back leaning against his chest, she reached for a piece of algae pastry and popped it into his mouth. But instead of snagging only the piece of nourishment, he captured her fingers with his teeth, sucking at them. Her protest perished in giggles.

"Delicious," he stated once he had let go of her. In answer, she turned her head, raised a doubting eyebrow, and made a sound that clearly questioned his sanity.

"Really, you should try it." He took a piece while his other hand wandered along her curves under the water. Teasingly, he dangled the food in front of her mouth, just as far as she could reach with the tip of her tongue without leaning forward. The moment she moved to snatch it from his fingers, he cupped her sex, as a result of which she nearly let go of the pastry.

"Just chew and swallow," her companion's whisper sounded in her ear. "Good girl. Now, what do you say, it does taste better than it used to, don't you agree?"

"I can see the appeal." She reached for another piece with one hand and behind herself with the other.

The last pastry shared in a kiss, they relaxed in the slightly cooling water.

"I never expected the best meal I ever had to consist of algae." She hummed in contentment.

"Me neither." He delivered a kiss to her head. "But I didn't expect to get such a birthday present, either. When I was about to retire, all I expected from life were tranquillity, maybe grandchildren and rheumatism blankets." At that, she chuckled. "Then the world blew up along with my plans, and the only plan I had left was foiled by a redheaded school teacher turned president." The smirk on his face softened the spoken words.

"Are you sorry it did?"

"Nope, not anymore. You gave the fleet a chance to live; you gave me life as I haven't experienced it in a long time, if ever. I owe you my gratitude for that and so much more." His arms tightened around her.

"The feeling is mutual, my love." She cuddled further into his embrace. "But as much as I’d like to stay here forever, I'm beginning to get more wrinkles than I had when I entered the water."

"You are still beautiful."

"Charmer!" She climbed out of the tub.

"Show-off!" he retorted as she bent over to grasp a towel from the floor and presented him with a view of her backside. She sniggered and hit him with a towel.

After they had dried each other off, caressing, teasing, worshipping and kissing, they lay on one of the couches, he in his boxers, she wearing his undershirt. Her head resting in his lap, she listened to his voice as he read.

Intrinsically, he had brought the book to have something to occupy his mind with other than navel gazing, worrying and feeling lonely, like shit, sorry for himself. To share one of his favourite volumes with Laura in this way was more than he had ever hoped for.

The skin of her neck was warm on his thighs, her hair tickled every now and then when she made a small move, and occasionally she would purr contently. All in all, his heart felt like it had finally come home again.

He was painfully aware that there wouldn't be many moments like this one in the future – quiet and peaceful, just the two of them – but, for now, he allowed himself to relish in the illusion resembling what he had envisioned for the time after his retirement.

Letting his overflowing happiness take the lead over his actions, Bill bent down to kiss the woman who had wormed her way into his heart during the last years. She responded leisurely, their lips and tongues joining in a slow dance.

When he parted from the oral connection but didn't pick up on the tale, she opened her eyes to find him studying her.

"You going to tell me how it continues, or do I have to figure that out by myself?" She smiled benignly.

"Always the impatient one. Give this man some time to absorb such beauty that's hard to find these days."

"Haven't you done enough staring at me today, yet?" Her eyebrow shot up in what could have been disapproval, though she silently rejoiced in his open praise of her body.

"It will never be enough." He planted a kiss on the raised eyebrow which caused the other one to join its twin near the hair line.

Unable to contain his mirth at her mannerism, a chuckle escaped Bill's throat. "Cute."

"Presidents aren't cute." She pouted, which only made her even cuter in his eyes.

"Sorry to disagree, but this one most certainly is."

She harrumphed and turned to face his stomach. "I'll show you cute."

The next moment, her nose nudged his member through the material of his boxers. Its owner, in result, jumped a bit at the unexpected touch.

"Woman!" he yelped in warning as she repeated the move. "Didn't you have enough for today?"

"It will never be enough," she repeated his earlier words with a grin.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but you should have picked a younger man considering your appetite."

"No, I don't think so. I like my men mature and with experience. I'm beyond youthful fumbling and awkward insecurity. Besides, who'd want an old frump like me? So, you'll have to do," she teased.

"My luck that they have no idea what they are missing out on." He traced the rim of her ear with his forefinger.

"And mine, since no young belle had gotten hold on you. Why is that by the way? And don't tell me you were short of offers and admirers." She angled her head to look at his face. It displayed a mix of amusement, resignation and wistfulness.

"Actually, that was exactly what I was going to say." She opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her before even one syllable could pass her lips. "But let me explain, please." She nodded that he had her attention. "I used to get a lot of offers, even after I had married, but I turned them down, didn't violate my marriage vow, though I have to admit that the temptation was huge occasionally. The older I got, the less offers I received; however, as you said, those were just that – admirers. I would have been a prize on their shelf, nothing more. So I stayed away from short adventures, and having the reputation of – or let's say being – a stoic commander helped matters. The amount of offers simply ceased to nonexistent. After the divorce, I had resigned myself to the fate of a life alone. Didn't expect ever to find love again." He gazed intensely into her eyes. "Yet, I did: at the end of the world and where I least expected it."

"Same here," she agreed, returning his gaze in equal measure.

"What about you? Can't imagine you being short of offers, either. Yet, you were never married – officially..."

"Not only officially. I was never married. Not for the lack of offers, but it never felt right to say yes. I loved those men less than they had loved me. I couldn't do it."

"So, no one special before the attacks?"

Laura closed her eyes at the question and took a deep breath before she answered with a hesitant "no."

"But?"

"I had an on and off affair with a married man for over fifteen years," she confessed, fear of judgement evident in her voice.

"That's longer than my marriages lasted. And no, that doesn't disgrace you in my eyes, only him, whoever he was, and no, I don't want to know. After having gotten to know you over the years and especially after today, I can't understand how a man could live with only a part of you. Must have been a hell of an idiot."

She snorted. "Something like that, yeah." She paused. "Thank you."

"Nothing to thank me for." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "You've given me so much today, above all, your trust. Just know that I trust you the same."

"It shall not be misplaced or betrayed." Her voice was earnest and honest. Then she pulled him down to seal the promise with a touch from her lips to his. Once she let go again and stared into his eyes, he stifled a yawn.

"Let's go to bed." She swung her legs from the couch and brought herself into a sitting position next to him. "C'mon. At our age, we shouldn't sleep on the couch. As comfortable as it may look, I'm sure we'd pay the price in the morning, and I can think of far more entertaining ways to obtain a stiff neck than sleeping on the couch." Her eyes sparkled.

"Oh really? What a coincidence, so can I." He waggled his eyebrows, grabbed her hands, and let her help him up.

When he was on his feet, she let go of one of his hands and turned to tug him by the other one toward the bedroom. Bill had other ideas though; with speed and strength that surprised her, he swept her off her feet and carried her over to the bed where he laid her down with care, then slipped in behind her, pulling the covers over both of them.

"Sweet dreams."

She snuggled nearer. "You, too."

The next morning was spent in the freedom of sleeping late and touching. It was hours after having woken up that they found their way out of their cabin to the galley to grab a late breakfast.

If the few people they encountered on their way there thought it odd to meet the president and the commander of the fleet in civvies walking the corridors of the Rising Star together, they didn't let on.

Not to cause more rumours then they expected to arise from their joint stay, Laura and Bill refrained from holding hands: something they figured they would never have the liberty to do until they reached Earth or either of them stepped out of office.

On silent agreement, no affection was shown during the meal even though the booth that had been assigned to them was relatively private. They only shared banter like friends do and didn't touch like the lovers within them longed to.

Had someone observed them closely, though, he couldn't have possibly missed the occasional glances of desire and love they sent each other because, despite their long practice in controlling their emotions in public, it was hard to keep their happiness in check.

"You know," Laura interrupted the not unpleasant silence. "I've never seen anything but the flight deck, the conference room and some corridors of this ship before yesterday. Seeing some other accommodations, I think I can understand why people are so fond of spending some time aboard."

"Really? I remember you having more than one lengthy argument with the ship's captain about supplies."

"True, but I was always too busy to take a look at his described treasures personally. I had to rely on my aides and other sources."

"Care to remedy that?"

"Of course. Lead on."

They downed the rest of their tea and got up.

As they roamed the halls and passed yet another storage locker, Laura leaned closer to Bill, her breath caressing his ear. "Do you have any idea," she whispered, "how much I want to drag you into one of these and have my wicked way with you? How much I want to tuck my hands under your shirt and feel the warmth of your skin? How much I want you? Want you to frak me hard against a bulkhead?"

Bill had to fight hard to keep his expression indifferent and even harder to resist the urge to realise the scene she had just outlined.

"Laura," he groaned under his breath.

"Yes, I know we can't," she sighed. "Wouldn't do for the leaders of the fleet to get caught in such a compromising situation, but it's such a nice fantasy... and a restroom would do the deed as well," she added as an afterthought when they passed one.

"Woman!" Bill exhorted, then mumbled, "I'm in trouble. You’re trouble."

"I beg to differ."

"Huh?"

"If I were trouble, and you, as you said, were in trouble that would mean that you were in..."

"Stop it!" he growled warningly.

The two men who walked past them at that particular moment turned their heads in confusion and curiosity. Adama gave them a stern look that had them hurrying away.

"Enough is enough." Bill grasped Laura's arm and dragged her on the direct route to their quarters, thankful to meet no one else because the image they presented would have everybody questioning the leadership of the fleet and their sanity, for the commander of the military marched down the corridors, a stoic, determinate expression on his face, tugging a giggling and occasionally stumbling president along with him.

That woman would either mark the end of his sane days or even his life, but she was worth it, not that he had been able to stay away from her if she wouldn't have been; the pull she exerted was too strong.

As soon as the hatch was closed behind them, he pressed her against the bulkhead next to it with his whole body length and crashed his lips to her in a rather bruising kiss.

Laura braced herself against the wall, arched her pelvis forward and rubbed it shamelessly in a circulating motion against his.

With a frantic urgency, hands tugged at clothes, revealed hot skin. The instant his shirt was pushed up slightly, his trousers and boxers tangled at his ankles, her skirt was gathered at her waist, her panties pulled down, wound around one ankle, he moulded her buttocks into his hands and lifted her slightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist and sank down on his cock all the way in one forceful move.

Their rhythm was fast, frantic and erratic. It didn't take long for either to reach the climax.

Chests heaving with strained, heavy breaths, strength seemed to flee from both their bodies. Bill let go of her legs which she detangled from his waist, a move during which his penis slipped from her wetness.

He sacked against her, thereby sandwiching her between his body and the bulkhead.

Both bathed in sweat and other sticky body fluids, they tried to regain their breath and strength.

"That was unexpected," Laura breathed out. "But not unwelcome."

Bill chuckled softly and pushed himself slightly away from her, hands braced against the wall on either side of her.

"You are a mess." He looked down at her.

"And so are you." She mirrored his inspecting glance.

"True. I think a shower is in order for both of us." He stepped out of his trousers. "I'm going to pay for this."

"We are going to pay for this," Laura corrected as she took off her shirt. "But it was so worth it." A raised eyebrow dared him to disagree. He just kissed her.

"Yes, it was. Never thought I'd ever do that again at my age."

"Good thing I came along then."

"Definitely, though my muscles disagree." He pulled his shirt over his head with a groan.

"Nothing a hot shower and a massage won't cure. C'mon, after all I kinda owe you. Gods, did I need that."

"Glad to be of service, Madam President. Never knew you could be that blunt."

"There are a few things you don't know about me, Admiral." She winked and sauntered to the bathroom, swaying her naked hips.

"My death, I swear it," Bill muttered and followed the temptress to the shower.

Shower taken, discarded clothes picked up, they – clean again and for the most part dry – occupied the bed, Bill lying on his stomach with Laura straddling his buttocks.

"Since when have you been collecting knots on your back?" She dug her fingers deeper into what should be muscles but felt more like bones.

"A while, I guess. Usually, they just disappear with time. Those didn't want to go away, though. Tried to loosen them with hot showers, but that only helped temporarily at best."

"And you were too stubborn to go to Cottle." The grumpy noise confirmed her assessment. "Why didn't you come to me?"

He shrugged. "Can't hardly go to the president whose schedule is even busier than my own and ask her to give me a massage because I'm unwilling to enter life station and put up with the bedside manner of my doctor."

"Agreed, but you could have come to Laura. She always has time for a friend in need. And don't start with things like 'too intimate'. You sat at my bed, holding my hand when I was dying. You even kissed me in front of my aide. I'm sure we would have survived a massage."

"I'm not so... ouch!"

"Sorry."

"...sure."

"Why?"

"You really expect me to relax under your hands when it would have been a dream coming true?"

"You were dreaming of me?"

Despite all they had shared the last day, Bill was glad to not face her. "Hmhm."

"About my hands?"

"Among other things," he admitted.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Reality must be a total disappointment to you."

Bill couldn't believe what he was hearing spoken with all seriousness. He wanted to turn around desperately, ask her to her face what had led her to that conclusion, but she held him down.

"How can you even think that? What have I done to make you doubt yourself or my love and desire for you, for that matter?"

"Sorry." Her hands stopped their motion. "It's my self-doubt speaking."

"Laura." He reached behind his back, took her hands in his and pulled her down on him, her head coming to rest next to his above his shoulder. "No more doubting yourself. The reality of you exceeds every dream of you I ever had. My imagination didn't do justice to your spirit, mischief or desire and especially not to your love. And let's say your damn suits hide a lot more than ever anticipated. I might be a bit surprised of this side of your personality but let me assure you in an entirely pleasant way." He squeezed her hands affectionately.

"Thank you. I think I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, my love, anytime."

"Now, let me up again or those knots will still be there in the morning, and you'll blame me for it."

"I would never..."

"Say that, right. But you would think it. Now, let me up."

Reluctantly, Bill let her hands escape his hold, and Laura pushed herself up into a sitting position again to resume the massage.

As time went on and the knots vanished, her touch turned into a caress; soothing and tender, it put the man beneath her to sleep.

Carefully, so as not to wake her lover, she got off of him. On silent feet, she wandered to the living room and cuddled herself into the corner of a couch, soon drifting off to the world of memories and wishes. He had been right with his assessment of this being a dream come true. Yes, she had dreamed of Bill Adama, naked in his rack, under the shower, against a bulkhead, over his desk, over her desk – the list went on; Quorum meetings had provided her with a lot of time to come up with scenarios of sexual encounters between the Fleet's Admiral and herself. She just hadn't expected them ever to become reality, at least not the more adventurous ones, the ones that were labelled "wild frakking" instead of "love making". Yet, here she was, thoroughly frakked by said Admiral against a bulkhead without restraints or second thoughts. It had taken her by surprise but definitely not unpleasantly so. She loved this caveman-like side of him which she’d only now discovered. Although she had observed the strong hold he had on his partly-adopted family, she hadn't expected him to be this possessive when it came to a woman, when it came to her. She enjoyed it, though. The feeling of belonging with someone, to someone, had been foreign to her ever since her mother had died, however, belonging to Bill felt right, natural, for he belonged to her; this wasn't a one-way track. Good thing she had let Kara talk her into doing this, or there would be two more miserable and lonely people in the fleet at the moment.

Her gaze fell on the red ribbon which lay coiled up on the small table next to the birthday card, and a broad smile stole itself across her lips as the memory of this cloth around her wrists surfaced. She had always entertained wicked fantasies about things that went a bit beyond the border of vanilla sex but had never found the person she trusted enough to confess them to or even set them into motion with. She didn't long for whips, hard slaps or heavy rubber role games; she wanted gentle domination on the receiving as well as on the giving end. What Bill had improvised yesterday had been right along the lines of her fantasies. She picked up the ribbon and let it run through her fingers. Turn about was just fair play, wasn't it? After all, he had promised her she would have her fun – when he was done. Considering the likelihood of the possibility that he would never be done with her, she needed to launch a surprise attack and needed to do it soon. Tomorrow was their last day without the responsibilities pressing down heavily on both their shoulders, the last day of freedom and carefree, happy smiles, of unguarded expressions that spoke of love and lust. There would be no tying up either of the leaders after tomorrow; it wouldn't do for them to get caught up in having to loosen knots while the Cylons attacked and they were needed in the CIC or elsewhere. Nevertheless, she hoped that this didn't mean the end of their new-found happiness. Despite the fact that he had asked if this, she, was for keeps, she had no idea how he, they, would react once they were confronted with their work and positions again; however, she was willing to do everything in her power to keep him in her life as her lover, as her partner. His words and actions of assurance of his love for her fuelled her hope that he wouldn't regret these days with her. They couldn't be open about their relationship like every other couple, for the Quorum would have a field day over this. However, Kara had promised her the discreteness of Galactica's crew, something they would have to rely on, already did rely on, actually, seeing as they were here with the knowledge of quite a few people. How she hated secret affairs ever since Adar, even though this one here was different; it wasn't simply an affair, and Bill was nothing like Richard – and thank the Gods for that. She was glad Bill hadn't asked any further questions about the who and the why of her affair. Even though she hadn't expected him to accept her confession so easily, it made sense in a way; they both had a life prior to the attacks and their fair share of sex partners. However, all what mattered now was the future, their future together. There would be no other man for her, just like she expected him to be faithful to her. Although he had pointed out that nobody wanted a stoic old military leader – an obvious lie, for here she was, lusting for his touch and body – there might be some women interested in the President's man, though: yet another reason to keep their relationship a secret.

"Hey," the husky voice of her fantasies’ object sounded softly from the bedroom door.

"Hey," she answered, matching his timbre. "How are you feeling?"

To her delight, he flexed some muscles and smiled. "Much better, thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome."

Her stomach chose this particular moment to announce its state of emptiness.

Bill chuckled. "How about dinner? Wouldn't want anybody accusing me of neglecting my present's needs." He winked. “Besides, some nourishment sounds great to me, as well.”

She smiled, got up, and walked past him into the bedroom with the intention to change clothes, not without stopping to kiss him, though. What she had planned to be a short peck onto his lips turned longer and became more passionate as his hands in her hair prevented her from pulling away, his tongue invading her mouth. When his stomach echoed the sound of hers, he released her.

Dinner was an amicable affair. The topics of conversation ranged from pranks played at school over books to strange aunts everybody seemed to have; however, they refrained from holding eye contact for much longer than appropriate for friends, only friends. It was their acid test; from tomorrow on, they would have to be utter professionals again. Everything would have been so easy, uncomplicated, without the weight of responsibility of the remainder of mankind on their shoulders. It was both a blessing and a curse that they shared the burden.

The next morning found Bill not like he had expected to wake up, like he had fallen asleep, with Laura cuddled into his arms, but alone, hands and feet tied to the bed in a similar fashion as he had done with her two days ago. When he groaned in frustration, his jailor entered the room, wearing nothing but an open robe for the lack of a belt.

“Good morning, love,” she cooed.

“I’m not sure yet if it’s a good one.”

“Really? Let me help you with the decision then.” She sat down on the bed next to his chest and bent down to kiss his lips. To his disappointment, she distanced herself when the kiss began to become more heated. She giggled at his reaction. “Insatiable? Impatient?” She smirked.

He made a noise that could be described as the vocalisation of a shrug. “When it comes to you, the former will always be true. As for the latter… who couldn’t wait until breakfast?”

“Not me, I waited till you woke up before I’d have breakfast.” Her hands trailed over his chest to ensure he got the meaning of her words.

“Desert before the main course? Didn’t have you down as that kinda gal, Madam President.”

“You’ll be surprised.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“You do?” she asked in a suddenly serious tone, looking directly into his eyes.

“I meant it when I said I trusted you, Laura.”

“Thank you.” She planted a kiss on his forehead. “I’d say ‘lean back and enjoy’, but since you don’t seem to have any other choice...” She grinned.

Bill groaned. A turnaround had not been what he had expected when he had tied her up on their first day here; however, he wouldn’t complain. Well aware of the trust Laura had placed in him by allowing him to go through with the game, he was more than willing to reciprocate.

Especially during his early years as an unattached pilot, he had had quite a few interesting sexual encounters, although most of the women wanted to feel the legendary power of a Viper pilot and not put him into a submissive position. Besides, he wouldn’t have let himself get tied up by a one night stand. So this was a first time experience for him. How Laura had managed to bring him into this position without him noticing or waking up, though, was beyond him, like nearly everything as she enveloped the tip of his penis between her lips. It had reacted to the sight of her the moment she had entered the room earlier and hardened further under her touch now. The contact didn’t last long, however; she planted short kisses along the length which she simultaneously teased with her fingernails before letting go of it and turning her attention to his feet. Carefully, she placed herself between his spread legs that she had tied to the bedposts with the belts of their bathrobes. Lightly like a whisper, she ran her finger tips over the sole of his left foot, causing his eyes to fly open and his head to shoot up as far as the restraints allowed.

“Sorry,” she said in answer to his cry of mixed surprise and protest. “Couldn’t resist.”

“Woman,” he growled.

“Yep, last time I checked I was. Still seems to be the case.” She cupped her breasts, flicking thumbs over nipples.

Another growl escaped Bill’s throat, this one clearly coloured by lust, though. She placed her hands back onto his body, for it would be a shame to waste all this masculinity that was at her mercy. Ignoring his erection for now, she licked her way up his form along the scar until she reached the level of his nipples. Since Bill had decided to do this like he did everything – properly or not all – he had closed his eyes again, let his other senses take over, and was therefore a bit taken by surprise when Laura bit a nipple. He yelped at the sudden pain that shot through his body. With her tongue, she smoothed the skin she had just hurt. Strangled little noises replaced the cry as she teased the hard bud with the tip of her tongue.

“Don’t do that ag…”

She pinched the other nipple with her fingers. “I don’t think you are in any position to give orders, Admiral,” she stated in her best presidential voice. She tugged some skin from just beneath his collarbone between her lips and sucked it hard, marking him as he had marked her when their positions had been reversed.

“Mine,” she echoed his sentiment from then.

“With all that I am,” he answered sincerely. A long deep kiss was his reward.

Sitting astride his chest, she took her time to study his face, traced the lines with her fingertips, planted kisses along his nose but didn’t let him catch her to return the kiss. He groaned in frustration as she rubbed herself against his chest. The wetness oozing from the apex of her legs made his member twitch. She must have felt the contraction of his overly eager abdominal muscles, for giggles rippled through her body and resonated in his own, which didn’t help matters. Neither did the sight: naked, giggling Laura towering above him nearly had his heart skip a beat, and his mind imprinted the image to the memory instantly for grave times.

Once she had calmed down again, she wriggled south until her ass bumped again his hardness. Teasingly, she caressed it with her buttocks a few times before turning around on him so she was facing his feet now. She leaned forward to run her hands over his thighs as far as she could reach and back up to his groin, her swaying breast teasing his erection. The desperation with which Bill longed to free his hands was overwhelming. He wanted to grab her lovely behind, pull it up and embed his tongue in the wetness between her legs. Although he couldn’t decide what was worse: the occasional, fleeting touches of her breasts or the view of her ass and being unable to touch it. Yes, he could have closed his eyes again, but it was a sight too great, a memory too precious, to give it up. Upon his sigh, she slid the object of his longing a bit further toward his head; however, it still wasn’t near enough for him to reach any of the skin he wished to worship with his tongue and lips. Contrary to him, Laura possessed this freedom of touch and made good use of it, for the head of his penis was suddenly surrounded by the moist heat of her mouth, her lips contracting and relaxing around the sensitive flesh. For a moment, Bill lost all focus on inviting Laura skin and was reduced to moaning putty under her ministrations as she cosseted him with her lips, tongue and teeth. It suddenly didn’t matter at all that he was unable to reciprocate. This changed, though, when she slid lower, thereby bringing her bottom into closer proximity of his mouth. Torn between simply enjoying what she did to him and taking an active role in the game, he opted for the latter in the end, darting out his tongue to run it along the sticky skin between her legs and cheeks. Laura let out a surprised squeal upon the unexpected though not unpleasant sensation, then she wriggled even closer to grant him better access to her.

Her moans vibrated around his member, causing him to groan, the exhaled air against her hot flesh sending shivers through her body. She sucked harder while massaging his testicles with one hand; however, when she felt his form tense underneath her, she halted. Bill wasn’t sure whether to hate or to love her for the sweet torture of prolonging his pleasure. Had he been able to move his limbs as he pleased, he would have encouraged a hasty end to his body’s demands, for it seemed to have separated from his mind. All he could do though was to put his torturer in the same position at the blissful edge, so he nipped and suckled at her clitoris, robbing her of her concentration. Unable to take much more, Laura tried to shift away, out of his reach; after all, the plan had been to drive him crazy, not to be driven crazy by him, but he would have none of it. Catching her labia between his teeth, he refused to let her escape. Her breath caught in her throat, and an instant later, she returned the favour by sinking her teeth lightly into his aroused flesh. He hissed but didn’t let go of her. Loosening the grip of her teeth a bit, she dragged them up and down along the length, feeling his breathing quicken beneath her. His own hold on her became lighter; however, other than that he kept still, for she had managed to capture his full concentration yet again, had vaporised all unselfish intentions of reciprocating. Feeling, enjoying was all he was capable of. His mouth opened with a groan, the exhaled air gracing her wet flesh, sending a shudder through her body.

Sensing how near he was to the edge, she sucked harder a few times, and that did the deed. With a loud, deep moan, he emptied himself into her mouth. She lightened her touch but didn’t release him until he softened. Cleaning him in the motion, she let him slip from her mouth. Her attempt to climb off him was stopped by a bite into her buttock, so she lay with her head on his thigh, feeling his erratic breathing slowly calming down under her.

His tongue beckoned her closer again, and, still pulsing with need, she went willingly. Once in reach, he parted her folds with his tongue before dipping into her, lapping her juices, sucking her labia, nibbling at her clitoris. Due to the high level of her arousal, it didn’t take long for her to reach fulfilment. She moaned against his skin as he sent wave after wave of orgasm through her already trembling form. Despite her dominant position, she was at his mercy, unable to move away from the sweet torture he inflicted on her. She had already started to beg for him to stop a short while ago when he finally ceased his stimulation, guiding her slowly down from the peak, and allowed her to calm down. Sweaty, a bit exhausted but sated and happy, she covered him. Not able to do anything except to wait until she could be bothered to move again, he enjoyed the feeling of her naked skin on his, her smell penetrating his nostrils. Satisfied, all senses filled with Laura, he couldn’t think of a place where he would rather be at the moment. The location itself didn’t matter at all as long as she was with him. When he had the impression she was on the edge of falling asleep, he moved his leg as best as he could to shake her and get her attention.

“Would you please widen the range of my ability to move?”

“Gods, I’m sorry.” Spurting into action instantly, she untied his legs first before releasing his arms. As he rubbed his hands, she tried to get up but was pulled into his embrace.

“Thank you, love,” he breathed into her ear.

“Shouldn’t I thank you?” She wanted to lift her torso to look into his eyes; however, he held her down against him, nuzzling her mane.

“Nope, you taught me a special lesson in trust two days ago, and for this I’m very grateful. Giving back a part of what I got seems to be the least I could do.”

Not knowing what to say, especially since words seemed incapable of conveying what she felt, Laura opted for kissing him, trying to put all of what was in her heart into it, in the hope that he would understand. It appeared he did.

“You’re welcome. The pleasure was mine.”

Silently, they lay in each others’ arms, wishing their solitude wouldn’t end. However, they both knew it would eventually and rather soon. The buzzing of the wireless proved the point. Reluctance visible in his features and motion, Bill answered it.

A few yeses and an all right later, he hung up again. “Message from Galactica. Due to an unnamed problem, the raptor which is scheduled to pick me up will be delayed for an hour. That leaves us with almost two and a half hours on our hands. Any suggestions on what to do with the time, Madam President?”

Laura groaned. “As much as I hate it right now, I guess I better get used to it again.”

“Just imagine that every time I say it with all professionalism our positions demand, what I really mean is this.” He leaned close to her ear, ran the tip of his tongue along its rim and whispered her title in a tone that was somewhere between a purr and a growl. It sent shivers all over her body, much to Bill’s delight.

Straightening himself, he looked at her expectantly. “Madam President?” Just as he had said earlier, Laura’s mind replaced his all business-like tone with the seductive one, making her shiver once more.

Not one to accept defeat easily and definitely not without a fight, Laura stretched, arching her chest upward while answering as presidentially as if she was wearing one of her suits and stood in the middle of the CIC. “Admiral.” Bill couldn’t tear his eyes away, although he knew he should for his own sanity because his mind established a steady connection between his title, her tone and the visual she provided him with. “I think a shower is in order.”

His mouth dry, he only nodded and extended his hand to her, helping her up.

They took their time showering, cleaned each other tenderly, imprinting as much as possible to their memories, not knowing when they would ever do this again. Once they left this apartment, they would depend on the little moments when they could push their responsibilities to the back of their minds. There wouldn’t be any expanded baths or breakfasts spent with nothing but easy banter.

After they finally had to turn off the water, they dressed, put on their armours, said goodbye to their carefree alter egos, locked them up inside again, though with the promise to let them out whenever possible.

Bill couldn’t help but notice Laura forgoing any underwear. It set his thoughts flying in many directions, not one of them was worrying about her catching a cold. He swallowed audibly.

“What?” Laura sounded clearly amused.

“Don’t tell me you really go to work like this.”

“Huh?” She eyed her appearance in the mirror. “Something wrong with my suit?”

“Laura. You know very well what I mean.”

“Do I?”

“No underwear, Madam President?”

“Not at the moment, as you very well know, Admiral. As for other times, that’s something for you to figure out.” She winked. “And that would be your shuttle, I guess.” She nodded at the buzzing wireless.

Bill groaned. She had really gotten him. He would spend lots of meetings wondering if she wore something underneath her suit or if he would be greeted by that glorious body of hers that had stretched out on the sheets earlier, when opening zipper and buttons.

The call had indeed been the notification that the raptor had arrived for him. Sharing one last longing kiss, the lovers bid their goodbyes, then he left.

Laura still had half an hour before a shuttle would carry her back to Colonial One. She used the time to put on her underwear – after all, she might be a bit reckless but not stupid – and take a look at the file for the meeting she had with one of the delegates in a few hours.

On his way to the docking bay, Admiral Adama schooled his features into the same mask of unamused grumpiness he had left Galactica with three days ago. Racetrack, who had pulled the short straw, had a bad feeling rising within her when she spotted her CO. She was screwed. They were all screwed. But foremost, she felt sorry for Laura Roslin; something must have gone seriously wrong.

“Sir.” She saluted as he neared the raptor. Giving her a curt nod in greeting, he got into the ship. The flight passed in icy silence.

On Galactica’s hanger deck, Bill was greeted by Kara, Lee and some others whose jubilant faces turned fearful and pale upon seeing him and the deadly glare in his eyes. Without a word, he thrust the greeting card into Kara’s hands and stalked off. Everyone in the small group swallowed, their eyes following his retreating form in disbelief.

Sad and disappointed, Kara turned the card in her hands, and the next moment her squeal echoed from the walls of the deck. On the backside of the card was written “Thank you, Bill & Laura”.

= End =


End file.
